Biography
Jacob Wilson (born March 30, 2002) is an American professional baseball shortstop for the Athletics of Major League Baseball (MLB). Wilson played college baseball for the Grand Canyon Antelopes, and was selected sixth overall by the Athletics in the 2023 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut in 2024.
Amateur career
Wilson attended Thousand Oaks High School in Thousand Oaks, California, where he played for his father Jack Wilson, a former MLB shortstop. He played college baseball at Grand Canyon University.
As a freshman at Grand Canyon in 2021, Wilson played in 47 games as a third baseman, hitting .313/.376/.440 with four home runs and 29 runs batted in (RBI). He moved to shortstop his sophomore year in 2022. He hit .358/.418/.585 with 12 home runs and 65 RBI over 59 games that season. In 2022, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Orleans Firebirds of the Cape Cod Baseball League.
Wilson entered the 2023 season as one of the top prospects for the 2023 Major League Baseball draft. His father also joined the team's coaching staff that season.
Professional career
The Oakland Athletics selected Wilson in the first round, with the sixth overall pick, of the 2023 MLB draft. He received a $5.5 million signing bonus.
Wilson began his professional career with the High–A Lansing Lugnuts, where he hit .318 in 88 at-bats. He then appeared in 3 games for the rookie–level Arizona Complex League Athletics, hitting 5-for-11 with five RBI. To start the 2024 season, Wilson hit .455 with three home runs in 88 at-bats with the Double-A Midland RockHounds before being promoted to the Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators.
On July 19, 2024, Wilson was selected to the 40-man roster and promoted to the major leagues for the first time. In 28 appearances for Oakland during his rookie campaign, he batted .250/.314/.315 with three RBI.
On March 31, 2025, Wilson hit his first career home run, a solo shot off of Ben Brown of the Chicago Cubs.